MPhil or Master of Philosophy is an academic degree of research orientation in which both theory and practical subjects are included.

It is of 2 years duration and students from any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts/Humanities) can pursue this course, right after completing their postgraduate degree in any subject from a recognized college or university.

MPhil fees vary from college to college and can be around INR 5000-2 Lakhs depending upon the type of university and the specialization. The main specializations are MPhil in English, MPhil in Psychology, MPhilin Education, MPhil in Clinical Psychology, MPhil in Economics, etc.

There are many career options that you can choose after completing your MPhil degree. You can make a career as a Journalist, Economic Expert, Geologist, Literary Critic, Academic Researcher, etc based on the domain of your study.

A fresh MPhil pass out student can expect a starting salary of anywhere between INR 20,000 to INR 30,000 per month. The average salary range is around INR 5-6 LPA throughout the various parts of the country.

A lot of MPhil students make their way towards earning a PhD degree, especially those who want to make a career in research and development.

Some qualify civil services exams and serve the nation and society, and also involve in various roles in the domain of politico-administrative works.

MPhil Admission Process

MPhil Admission Process

The process of admission for MPhil course is a mix of both merit-based selection procedure and a common entrance test based admission process (as seen across various Universities and colleges in the country).

For ease of understanding, we have provided the process of admission for this course in a more detailed manner under the below-mentioned points.

Some Universities/Colleges conduct a Common Entrance Test (CET) for MPhil admission, hence students would have to make an application for such exams. Such universities are DU, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia, etc.

Students should qualify these exams (for which they should be eligible to appear) in order to get admission in the course.

After the conduct of the test, a merit list of finally qualified candidates is prepared and candidates are invited for further admission process by the respective university or college. Usually, a personal interview or discussion takes place.

After the final allotment of seats to the candidate, the candidates are asked to deposit the fee for the course and register for the respective academic year.

But in many private colleges like Amity University, Shobhit University, etc., the MPhil admission process would be based on the marks obtained in their Master’s degree in a relevant subject in which a student wants to pursue his/her MPhil.

MPhil Eligibility

The basic MPhil eligibility is that a candidate must have passed the PG or equivalent examination from a recognized state/private/deemed or central university with at least 55% (45% to 50% for reserved category candidates) of the marks.

He/She shall not be having any backlog or compartment in any of the subject(s) at PG level that is yet to be cleared at the time of taking admissions.

Apart from the above-mentioned eligibility criteria, various colleges and institutes may have their own additional criteria which the students would have to satisfy in order to take admission.

In case of reserved category students, they would have to present their reservation certificates issued by the competent authorities in order to avail the benefits applicable to them.

Certain Institute provides admission through Common Entrance Test (CET). Therefore, they should have applied and qualified the exam before in order to get admission in that college or university.

MPhil Entrance Exams

As mentioned earlier, many colleges conduct CET for MPhil Admission. Few common MPhil exams with details are mentioned below:

How to prepare for MPhil Entrance Exams?

Following tips should be followed for best performance in the MPhil entrance exams

You should be well familiar with the pattern of the exam like number of questions, types of questions, etc. This will help you decide which topics to study in detail.

It has been proven that preparing for any entrance exam by making a proper time table and a study plan really helps to cover the complete syllabus on time, therefore we suggest you do the same. You can set weekly or daily targets for your preparation.

Have the best study material with you. Ask your college professors, fellow mates and local bookseller about the latest books and study material for these exams.

Practice most of the sample papers available online and offline.

If ock tests are available for those exams, then you should give as many mock tests possible for better performance on the day of the actual exam.

Make revision notes of important points in the form of tables, charts, diagrams, etc. so that you can have a quick look and revise effectively with less time.

How to get admission in a good MPhil college?

You can easily secure a place in a good college if you have performed well in your Personal Interview (PI) round.

MPhil is a research degree therefore your subject knowledge should be strong and you should be aware of the latest news, technologies or discovery in your domain.

General Knowledge should be strong as well.

Apart from this, you should be an eloquent speaker so that the panel is impressed with your confidence and your communication skills.

MPhil Distance Education

MPhil Distance Education

Many students prefer doing MPhil through distance education because it provides them the flexibility to study the course at their own pace. All the course material are sent via online or offline.

Following universities are very famous for MPhil distance education programs in India:

IGNOU: Indira Gandhi National Open University or simply IGNOU is one of the popular institutes to pursue MPhil through distance mode. It offers MPhil in Chemistry, MPhil in Commerce, MPhil in Economics, MPhil in Geography, MPhil in Political Science, etc.

MPhil: What is it About?

MPhil course or Master of Philosophy is a PG level academic research course that one can pursue in any discipline/domain of study. It aims at studying the nature of man and ideas in context to a certain field of study.

Philosophy as a study is based on the comprehensive and systematic study of human nature and idea. When this study of philosophy is linked to any respective domain/subject of study then it provides a much deeper understanding and insight of the subject to the students.

You can pursue MPhil course in any of the subjects ranging from technical and application based like Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics to more theoretic and principle-based subjects like History, Geography, Economics, English etc.

Most of the students who are interested in theoretical, practical and/or clinical research pursue MPhil course for advanced subjects knowledge, which makes their path towards a PhD much easier.

Only selective people opt for this course, therefore number of seats in various MPhil colleges In India are also less as compared to PhD and other research based degrees.

If you are looking for a career in teaching pr public domain, then a lot of students pursue this course in their interested domain.

A lot of language and subject experts pursue this course for advanced knowledge and skills.

MPhil is usually done as it acts as a bridge between your Master's degree and a PhD. It is not necessary to have MPhil degree if you want to pursue PhD course, but a lot professionals and industry experts suggest doing MPhil first so that students can get an idea what kind of subjects and research methodology will be there in the PhD program.

MPhil Course Comparison

MPhil vs MSc

MPhil vs MSc:

Although both are postgraduate degrees, but Master of Science is more theory-based as compared to Master of Philosophy. The following table shows major differences between them:

Parameters

MPhil

MSc

Qualification

Master of Philosophy

Master of Science

Eligibility

Master’s degree in a relevant subject

Bachelor’s degree in any Science subject

Duration

1.5-2 years

2 years

Degree Type

MPhil is a research-based degree in which the percentage of practical subjects will be more as compared to theory subjects.

MSc is an academic degree in any science subject, pursued for advanced theory knowledge and skills. It consist of more theory subjects than MPhil.

Average Fees

INR 5000- 2 Lakhs

Under 2 Lakhs

Colleges

Number of seats for MPhil is a lot lesser than MSc or any other PG course. Best MPhil colleges in India are: Panjab University, Mumbai University, DU, etc.

Number of colleges offering MSc course are higher than MPhil course. Most famous MSc colleges are: JNU, BHU, University of Hyderabad, etc.

Pharmaceutical and Research Companies, Research Institutions, various MNCs, etc.

MPhil vs PhD

MPhil vs PhD:

A lot of students get confused if they should opt directly for PhD degree or pursue MPhil course first. Both are research-based degrees, PhD will lead you to Doctorate qualification and MPhil will lead you to a PG qualification. Following are the major differences between them:

Parameters

MPhil

PhD

Degree Type

Second Master’s degree

Doctorate degree

Duration

1.5-2 years

3-4 years. Sometimes even 5 years

Coursework

Balance of theory subjects and experiments

2-3 theory subjects with a major focus on experiments and research methodology

Higher Education

You can go for PhD or MBA and other relevant certificate and diploma courses in any advanced specialization.

Usually, students like to teach in colleges and do research after completing their PhD course. But many go for post doctoral education also in India as well as abroad.

MPhil Specializations

MPhil Specializations

MPhil is usually done in a relevant subject in which students have done their Masters. Following are few of the popular MPhil specializations done in India:

MPhil in English: This course usually involves a research-based experiment and project English literature. MPhil in English include subjects like Elizabethan, Jacobean, Victorian, Modern, Post-Modern, etc.

MPhil in Psychology: This course helps to understand human mind and behaviour on an advanced level. The course MPhil in Psychology cover subjects such as social development, human development and its effect on environment, etc.

MPhil in Management: This course involves the study of advanced management subjects and their research models. MPhil in Management course aims to study advanced research studies and their applications in an organization or in the business world.

MPhil in Economics: This MPhil course is for students who want to make their career in the economics domain. MPhil in Economics include subjects such as Contemporary Economic Issues, Issues in Indian Economy, etc.

More MPhil Specializations:

MPhil Colleges

Quite a good number of colleges across the country offer M.Phil course to candidates who have passed their PG or equivalent examination from a recognized state or central University.

Students can take admission in the course either through Common Entrance Test conducted by colleges/Universities or by applying to the various institutes offering this course based on their performance at the PG level.

MPhil Syllabus

The syllabus of MPhil course is divided into 4 (two/three in some cases) semesters spread over a span of two (1/1.5 years in certain cases) years with each year comprising of two semesters. The syllabus of the course is divided into various parts and modules.

Follwoing table shows major MPhil subjects included in the course:

Year I

Year II

Philosophical Foundations of the subject

Computer Applications in the domain of subject

Advanced Research Methodology and Research in the subject of study

Dissertation

Analysis and domain study

Viva Voce Examination

Elective subject-I

Elective subject-II

Study of origin and development of the subject

Exercise /Practical work

Study of relative discipline to the subject of study

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MPhil Jobs & Career Prospects

MPhil Jobs and Career Prospects

M.Phil qualified students have plenty of options to choose from in terms of their career. One can choose from areas like Civil Services, Economics, Archeology, Geology etc. based on the area of study.

Following table shows some of the major job profiles after doing MPhil in India:

Job Profile

Job Description

Average Salary for Freshers

Civil Servant

Working in civil services involves the implementation, formulation, and execution of the government’s policy in the public domain.

INR 7-8 Lakhs

Economist

An Economist is involved in the interpretation of market dynamics in terms of economic principles.

INR 3-9 Lakhs

NGO Worker

An NGO worker can indulge in various areas of public policy implementation in order to enhance the accessibility of the government’s scheme.

INR 1.8 – 3.5 Lakhs

Academic Researcher

Work of researchers involves a variety of functions like public policy analysis, research in academics, pattern analysis, data analysis

INR 2-5 Lakhs

Assistant Professor

This would involve regular teaching job of teaching the subject to college-level students. There are plenty of options in private sector as well government sector.

INR 2.5-7 Lakhs

Following graph shows minimum and maximum salary range for some of the major MPhil Job profiles:

MPhil Future Scope

MPhil Future Scope

MPhil is a research-based degree, and students who interested to enter the research field usually pursue this course.

We have already talked about major job profiles in the above section. Here, we will discuss the future scope after MPhil course completion.

Jobs in Public Administration, Research, Lecturer, and other fields. (Read the previous section for complete details)

PhD: Doctor of Philosophy or PhD is research degree of 3-5 years in which students produce their own thesis and defend it in front of elite and reputed people of that industry. A lot of MPhil studnets like to go for PhD studies to go forward in their research career. Commonly pursued PhD courses are:

MPhil FAQs

Ques. Is MPhil and PhD same?

Ans.No, MPhil and PhD is not same. MPhil is mster of Philosophy and PhD is Doctor of Philosophy. Although both are research-based degrees, but PhD is of 3-5 years, and MPhil is of 2 years. MPhil can be called a second masters degree, but PhD is a doctorate level degree.

Ans. No, getting a MPhil degree will not make you a doctor. To become a doctor, you need to either get an MBBS degree, BDS degree or PhD degree. MPhil course can be called a second master course done to get thorough knowledge and research experience in a particular subject.

Ques. How can I get admission in MPhil?

Ans. Admission can be taken in MPhil course through scores obtained in your master's degree or through entrance exam followed by a personal interview. However, this process is different for each college. Some colleges like Amity University takes admission basis merit, but colleges like Panjab University takes admission on the basis entrance exams.

Ques. In which subjects MPhil can be done?

Ans. MPhil can be done in subjects like:

English

Psychology

Management

Education

Economics

Physics

Life Sciences

Clinical Psychology, etc.

Ques. How long does an MPhil take?

Ans. It may take 1.5-2 years to complete MPhil degree. Time duration depends on each college and their affiliation.

Ques. Is MPhil better than PhD?

Ans. Both MPhil and PhD are research-based degrees which can only be pursued if you have a master’s degree in a subject which offers MPhil or PhD course.

Ques. What is the eligibility for MPhil?

Ans. Having a Master's degree is basic eligibility to pursue MPhil. Apart from that, different colleges have different set of eligibility criteria. Minimum 55% should be obtained to be able to pursue MPhil in a recognized college.

Ques. Is there any entrance exams for MPhil?

Ans. There are different university level entrance examinations for MPhil admission such as Panjab University Entrance Examination, Gitam University, IGNOU MPhil Entrance Exam, University of Calcutta, etc.